Means of controlling fuel level



M- C. SHELTQN MEANS OF CONTROLLING FUEL LEVEL June 8 1 92s, 1 587,607

Filed Sept. 19, 1924 I Mir-:1; "FUR"; 74 1 ce C. 6hel'an vs Ati'Qrne Patented June 8, 1926.

UNITED STATES MAURICE C. SHELTON, OF INDIANAPOLIS, INDIANA.

MEANS OF CONTROLLING FUEL LEVEL.

Application filed September 19, 1924. Serial No. 738,665.

From the time liquid fuels were first utilined, the difficulty has always been present of regulating the flow of-the fuel to the burner, and in this regard, the greatest endeavor to perfect means of controlling the flow of the fuel, has been placed in attempting to devise some valve control, but as yet no valve means have been developed that have proved commercially satisfactory under all conditions. The danger has always existed in the use of control valves in that, should the valve leak, orshould the valve be open and the burner flame be extinguished, the liquid fuel would continue to flow to the burner and thereby flood and overflow or run from the burner with the attendant fire risk.

In using light hydrocarbon fuel, such as gasoline, it is an extremely difficult matter, i t not approaching the impossible, to control the flow of the fuel entirely and absolutely uniformly by a valve throughout any great length of time. Through use the valve will leak; slight amounts of foreign matter will clog it or reduce the flow; and new supplies of fuel will vary from the old in viscosity. so producing a variable rate of flow.

It is the purpose of my invention to get entirely away from all such primary fuelflo Y control by valves and their attendant trouble by controlling the fuel level at its source of supply to the burner, such that the level of fuel may be raised or lowered with the corresponding change in level within or at the burner, and so controlled that the level can not be raised to cause the burner to overflow.

1 accomplish these and such minor objects disclosed in the following description by the means as illustrated in accompanying drawing, in which Fig. 'l is a side elevation of a fuel supply system embodying my invention, secured to a. fragment of a stove, with sections of the stove burner and of the supply tank and re lated parts removed; and Fig. 2 a horizontal section taken on the line 2-2 of Fig. 1, with the fuel tank removed.

Like characters of reference indicate like parts in the two views.

Upon a bracket 5 projecting from the stove frame 6, I mount a fuel cup 7 which is open at the top to slidingly receive a fuel tank 8 having the single opening in its lower side. A valve 9 is provided in the opening of the tank 8 and normally held closed by a light spring 10 until the tank 8 is allowed to enter the cup 7 sufficiently to contact the valve stem 11 against the bottom of the cup 7 such that the weight of the tank 8 will compress the spring 10 to permit the liquid fuel to flow out of the tank 8 into the cup where the level ab will be maintained, such valve and tank construction being of the usual and well known operation in maintaining a level by the Torricellian vacuum principle.

The tank 8 is provided with two pivot cars 12, one opposite the other which support the tank 8 by bearing on the tank support pins 13 which are inwardly projecting extensions of the arms 14 that terminate in and are rigidly fixed to a common pivot shaft 1. horizontally supported by the two brackets 16 on the side of the cup 7. An arm 17 rigidily secured to the shaft 16 extends downwardly and is passed through by the control rod 18 having the collars 19 fixed thereon to contact either side of the arm 17 so as to prevent withdrawal of the rod 18 from the arm 17 in either horizontal direction.

The other end of the rod 18 passes screwthreadedly through the wall and the block 29 and a wheel 27 is rigidly secured on the outer end of the rod 18. A passage 20 is provided from the under side of the cup 7 to the supply pipe 21, from which a number of burner pipes 22 may be extended, but one pipe and burner being shown in the drawing. A valve 23 of customary construction may be used in the pipe 22 to shut the fuel off from the particular burner as desired. The burner 24 is here shown as the type adapted for use in a heating or cook stove, but may be of any construction adapted to burn hydrocarbon fuels. The pipe 22 discharges into the annular trough 25 within the burner bowl 26 and the fuel will come to the same level as that in the cup 7 when the valve 23 is opened.

The rod 18 is provided with right-hand threads such that by turning the wheel 27 clock-wise, the rod will travel longitudinally and horizontally toward the arm 17 and as the tank 8 bears with considerable pressure on the arms 1 1 the arm 17 will travel backwardly as the inward travel of the rod 18 permits, and thereby allow the tank 8 to be lowered within the fuel cup 7 which action will effect a lowered level a-Y; as the fuel is consumed in the burner to an amount which will reduce it from the old level to the new lowered level. By turning ill] the Wheel 27 anti-Clockwise, the tank 8 is lifted and a higher level a-b is then secured. A stop-collar 28 is rigidly secured on the rod 18 within the cup 7, so located as to contact the cup Wall when the maximum allowable level a-b is reached, thereby preventing any aeeideiita-l overflow of the burner. I

The valve 23, here shown in the'drawing may he brought forward to the front of the stove and used as auxiliary means 0t eonfuel tank; a fuel-vessel altitude-adjusting rodadapted to travel normally of the axis or the vessel and means eoo ieratin between 's'aid'rod and said vessel.

2. A fuel tank; a 'fuel vessel having a discharge Within the tank; a horizontally adjustable fuel-vessel elevating rod; a stop limiting the travel of the red; and means eooperating between said rod and said vessel.

3. In means for controlling the level oi liquid fuel a vfuel tank open to the atmosphere; a fuel vessel having a discharge assing' into said fuel tank and its opening adapted to be submerged in fuel in said tank; hearings provided on said vessel: arms pivotally engaging said hearings, said arms -being pivoted by their opposite ends in said tank; a lever rigidly engaging said arms; an adjusting rod pivotally engaging said lever whereby longitudinal movement of said rod will rock said lever and said arms about their common pivot andv thereby raise or lower said vessel; and a stop on said rod adapted to contact said tank to limit upward travel or" said vessel.

Signed at Indianapolis, county of State of Indiana, this the (5 day of MAURICE C. SHELTON.

Marion, i-Lug'ust, 

